The Sega Addicts Speak!: What’s a good genre for the Sonic license?

The Sega Addicts Speak! It’s a feature with this new thing called speaking! Except, that’s a lie. None of us are actually speaking as the words are actually typed and if that’s called speaking to you than me and you live in completely different worlds. ‘Nuff said.

This week’s question is: What genre of game would you like to see use the Sonic license?

It’s not news to anyone that Sega has already pumped out tons of Sonic games in different genres but many are not too fondly remembered by fans. So, answers to this question can pick any genre whether it’s been done before or not but they must address what would be done differently and how they would use the Sonic license.

Hit the jump to read our answers!

Tom Kyzivat: I know it would be taking a page from Nintendo, but I think a Power Stone/Smash Bros. style game with Sonic characters would be a lotta fun! It would be similar to that Sonic battle-style game (which I’m not very familiar with, other than knowing it was pretty simplified), but it would have muh more content and complex gameplay. Not only would you get different characters with different abilities to use (Knuckles would have the advantage of climbing to higher items faster, while Sonic would be faster on the ground than anybody else, and Big would, um… I guess take a lot of damage and not really notice), but there would be the opportunity to reference classic Sonic levels for the areas you fight in. To go further in the Power Stone direction, it would be very cool to have the levels shift and change as you fight–for instance, if you put them in Angel Island, the forest could then catch fire like in Sonic 3, and change the gameplay. Or Marble Zone form Sonic 1–the ground shifts as the lava comes out, and you have to adjust to the channging terrain. And, of course, each level would be littered with monitors to grab weapons and abilities. How much would it piss everybody off when you get the “invincibility stars” and run amok on all their asses? And you’d grab rings as the level goes on to keep your health up, and if you lose them somebody else can grab them, and so on. There’s even the possibility of totally ripping off Power Stone and having the characters power up–Sonic becomes Super Sonic, Robotnik gets his power walker from Sonic CD or maybe he can change the other characters temporarily into Badniks, Tails gets his ariplane and drops bombs on them ho’s, Metal Sonic gets fold-out weapons, Knuckles beats everybody to death with his magic pimp cane, etc. Okay, this game needs to be made now.

Alexander Sargeant: I would love to see a Heavy Rain style adventure in the Sonic universe. How much would Sonic sacrifice to save Tails? Highlights include Shadow the Hedgehog as an FBI Profiler with a drug addiction and Rouge the Bat performing a strip-tease for Big the Cat inside his exclusive club.

I really don’t know if I’d actually like to see Sega try and stretch their legs with the franchise. I’d much rather they invented new characters for a new style of game rather than try to make them fit into all these different situations with pre-conceived notions of how characters would be able to interact in each game. No matter what, if Sonic was a Heavy Rain style affair then Tails would still at some point have the ability to fly with both his tails, because that’s just what he does. I think it only works for a cross-over style affair, and in that case I’d actually love to see a Namco X Capcom style SRPG starring character’s from Sega’s past including the Sonic franchise. Other than that, they’ve only just started getting good at doing 2D platforming again, so I’d like them to concentrate on that for now with these beloved characters.

Sven Wohl: I’d really like to see a RTS-game set in the Sonic Universe. You’d be Dr. Robotnik and build and design your very own robot army. Heck, you could even design your own zones and would test them with Mecha-Sonic! It would be awesome! I mean, did you ever think about how Robotnik designs Zones? This would be pretty much a hybrid between Real-Time Strategy with him invading the universe and a level editor for making zones out of the occupied land…

Josh Newey: I have always nurtured a hopeless dream that one day Sega and Nintendo will finally decide to drop the stupid friendly Olympics dressing and really approach the malicious undercurrent between them that has been repressed for years. Imagine it: Sega Vs. Nintendo Super Smash Bros. I always get some snarky reactions when I tell people how much I adore the Smash Bros series, but I don’t care. Those games are addictive as can be, and their deceptively accessible gameplay hides some really complex challenge underneath. I know this question focuses on Sonic, so I won’t waste any more time on this ill-fated dream of mine.

Instead, let me just say that a Sonic fighting game in the same vein as the Smash Bros series would be the next best thing. I appreciated Sonic: The Fighters for its cartoony style and clever stabs at fan service, but it was woefully short on content and lacked any kind of depth whatsoever. I would love a title that used the same kind of simple strategy as Smash Bros, but with the same character and charm as The Fighters. Since Sonic’s friend list has at least doubled since the first Fighters game, we could have a diverse new roster, throwing such personalities as Big the Cat, Shadow the Hedgehog, and Rouge the Bat into the mix… And I’m not just listing these because I want to play as them. I want the chance to beat Big the Cat within an inch of his life, and a new Smash Bros inspired Sonic Fighters could give me that. Sonic’s design was handled immaculately in Brawl, and bringing in a whole roster of characters whose core mechanics rely on a similar sense of speed could really make for one frenetic and exciting fighter. Balancing the game could be tough, but I’m sure that if the right hands were working on it, a damn fine game could result.

Alex Riggen: I’d love to see another attempt at an RPG. I’ve been playing Sonic Chronicles on the DS for the last few weeks and have been severely disappointed. When you compare it to how amazing Super Mario RPG was it’s hard to see the Sonic license put to such poor use. I believe Sega was in their best interests having BioWare develop the game but the developers just did everything wrong with the game.

For one, a Sonic RPG should not be your typical turned based JRPG system as that makes no sense when your using a license that’s all based on speed. I really imagine more of an action RPG approach where you still wander around and explore these big environments and attack enemies in realtime while leveling up and improving your abilities.

Another important factor would be the writing. Sonic Chronicles is generic, dull, and uninspired by the source material. You could easily switch out all references to Sonic characters and environments with replace with generic JRPG elements and the game would be exactly the same. I’d like to see some writing that has fun with the source material and acknowledges that this is an RPG based on a license that started as an platformer. Super Mario RPG is one of the most well written and funny RPG’s available and I’d love to see the same care put towards a Sonic RPG. That’s all.

John Doherty: I think a Dr. Robotnik game based off of the Rampage games would be a blast. It would be a ton of fun to go around as Robotnik in one of his awesome machines and destroy the town. I would also like a Banjo and Kazooie Nuts and Bolts thing going on with the game as well. Where you can collect parts and build awesome machines to destroy stuff with.

Also I’ve said it before, but I really want a Mean Bean Machine sequel.

Stevie Grant: To be honest, I think Sonic should just stick with the platformers. The problem with Sonic is that everything about him is suited to platforming. Now you’re probably thinking “oh, but Mario can have all his spin offs and get away with it” but the problem with that thought is that Mario can get away with it. Mario’s personality is more of a blank slate meaning that he can do anything. Sonic has always been ‘BADICAL’ though which just wouldn’t suit a party game.

Sure you get things like the recent Sega All Stars games but those aren’t really about Sonic. More like Sega as a whole. In fact that’s what I would like to see more of. Instead of Sonic spin off’s lets have more Sega All stars party games. The novelty is fun, plus you can still have Sonic in it since there are lots of other characters who would suit the premise more in there as well. So in conclusion I don’t think we need any more genre’s in the Sonic universe. Maybe Sega, but just let Sonic himself stick to what he’s getting better at now a days.

How about a “free–to-play” MMO for the kids/comic fans? “Mobius Online” Kids can create their own Sonic character (those who usually do are just palette swaps anyway) and join certain groups. They could say, join Sonic and the freedom fighters. Getting missions from them. Or, they could join with Eggman and Lien-Da as part of the Dark Egg Legion. Maybe join G.U.N. and get missions from Shadow and E-123 Omega.

Game would mainly be 2-D side scrolling like Maple Story. Kids could race each other on classic Sonic-inspired 2-D levels are join together to take on boss fights. An example of a mission might be Snivley asking you to capture several Chaos. You go into a Sonic 2-D level where several Chaos are scattered throughout a stage and you have to collect them within a time frame.